Definitely
by sue-sylvester-shuffle
Summary: "He's Kenneth Parcell, for Pete's sake! He likes rainbows and making people laugh. He'll do just about anything for a new friend. I know the kind of stress being the president of NBC has in store, Jack. And I know that it'll kill his spirit and it'll change him." A new era is coming when Kenneth Parcell is promoted to the president of NBC, and Liz is worried.


"This industry is totally irrational." Jack said, standing up. "So if all my credentials, and degrees, and experience don't matter, that means the only qualification for this job is… loving television."

Kenneth tilted his head to the side. A lot of the time, what Jack said flew right over his head. He was no big businessman. "What are you saying, sir?"

"I'm saying I'm finally going to do something for this network that I know is right." He approached the blonde page slowly. "You like NBC, don't you, Kenneth?"

_Like it? _"Oh, I think it's the most wonderful place in the whole wide world!" Kenneth chirped happily.

"Good." Jack replied. He placed his hand on Kenneth's shoulder. "Because I'm giving it to you."

Kenneth stared blankly into Jack's face, searching for some sign that the man had been joking. _Did he just… _No. Jack would never give him NBC. Never! He was just a page.

"The whole thing." continued Jack.

_Impossible._

"_You're _the next president of the National Broadcasting Company."

It was then that it finally clicked in Kenneth's brain. It was real. A wide smile spread across his face, so wide that his mouth ached, but Kenneth hardly noticed the pain. Euphoria was flooding his veins, and he felt like a giant balloon was expanding inside of his chest. He wanted to _scream, _and he wanted to _cry, _and he wanted to _sing. _

Kenneth Ellen Parcell was the new president of NBC.

Kenneth made a giddy, high-pitched noise, and Jack smiled. Before the new president could help himself, he had jumped forward, leaping up onto Jack with his arms wrapped tightly around the man's shoulders, his legs looped around Jack's waist. _Jack Donachey. _The man who had been a strict boss, a caring father figure, and an inspiration all at once.

Kenneth never wanted to let him go.

Liz knocked on the door, very late that night. "Jack? I think I left my McDonald's gift card in here. Mind if I…" She trailed off when she saw her boss.

Jack was sitting on the couch, with Kenneth sprawled over him. The blonde man's arms were strewn lazily behind Jack's neck, and his head was resting on Jack's chest. He was asleep. Jack, on the other hand, was reading the paper, like everything was normal.

"Hello, Lemon." said Jack. "Come on in."

"What's up with Sleeping Beauty?" inquired Liz, gesturing to the sleeping page before examining Jack's couches for her lost gift card.

"The excitement exhausted him." Jack informed her.

"What was he so excited about?"

"I just promoted Kenneth Parcell to president of NBC."  
Liz whipped around, her jaw falling open. "Oh my God, Jack. _Kenneth? _Really? Oh, my God."

He raised one eyebrow. "You don't approve, then?"

Liz frowned. "Well, you know I just love Kenneth, I _do, _but… do you really think he's right for the job?"

"Lemon, what does business really have to do with television?" began Jack, seemingly ignoring her question entirely. "Nothing. I have denied that for seven years, but it's true. The only thing that has to do with television is… well, it's _love, _Lemon. Love for television… love for _people… _I don't possess that. But…" His eyes travelled down to Kenneth's sleeping form. "..._he _does. So yes. I _do _think he's right for the job."

A smile crept across Liz's face. "You're right, Jack." She leaned down, brushing Kenneth's honey-coloured hair from his face. He was smiling still, even through the haze of sleep. "Congratulations, new president." she whispered, planting a gentle kiss on his forehead. He didn't wake up, but the small smile he wore widened. Liz straightened up, looking at Jack. "Thank you for doing this, Jack. Even if he doesn't turn out as great a president as you were, you still just made him the happiest man alive."

"Well, only time will tell how he'll do." Jack reminded her. "But I have faith in him. I think he'll do great things for this company."

Liz smiled. "Oh, I do, too. But keep an eye on him, alright, Jack? You remember how stressed he got when he was working in Standards and Practices. Just… remember who you're dealing with." _A sweet, cheerful, over-friendly pig farmer's son with a Southern accent and a heart of gold. _"He's not… he's not _you, _Jack."

"No, he's not me." admitted Jack. "He's better. And I know this will stress him out. Kenneth doesn't like giving orders, and bossing other people around. He's used to being on the other end of all that. So, yes. He'll need some guidance."

Liz nodded. "Thank you."

"But that won't be me." continued the grey-haired man. "I'll be at Kabletown, Lemon. You know I won't be able to hang around here and babysit Kenneth."  
Liz felt anxiety build up inside of her. "You expect _me _to, then? God, Jack, I have a family now!"

The CEO shook his head. "No. I don't expect you to do anything."

"So, _what? _Are you leaving him here to… to _fail?_" Liz's joy had been erased, leaving behind a searing wall of frustration inside of her. She couldn't believe what Jack had done. At first she'd thought him promoting Kenneth was because he actually cared. Now she wasn't so sure.

"Not at all." Jack threw his newspaper onto the table in front of him, and slid carefully off of the couch, trying not to wake up the sleeping blonde page. Liz frowned as Jack approached her. He was so tall and formidable She felt powerless before him. Still, she tried to shift her weight onto her toes, standing as tall as she could.

"Then what are you doing?" she challenged.

His calm demeanor didn't falter in the least. "All good men have been tested, Lemon. Kenneth won't amount to anything unless he, too, has been put under great stress."

"But he _has _been tested under stress." Liz snapped. "And he ended up crying in a bathroom." The words started pouring out of her incessantly. "He's _Kenneth Parcell, _for Pete's sake! He likes rainbows and making people laugh. He'll do just about anything for a new friend. I know the kind of stress being the president of NBC has in store, Jack. And I know that it'll _kill _his spirit and it'll _change _him."

Jack leaned close to her. Liz glared right into his shockingly-blue eyes. "You know, Lemon," he began. "You're always telling me I'm underestimating the poor kid, but you're doing a damn good job of it yourself right now."

Guilt hit Liz like a punch in the stomach. She averted her eyes, dropping her gaze to her shoes. "I hate that you're right."

"I know you do." He stepped away from her, and she heard the _clink _of a bottle touching a glass.

"I'm sorry, Jack." Liz glanced over at Kenneth, who was still curled up on the couch, sleeping peacefully.

"Don't worry about it." Jack returned, holding two glasses of scotch. He held one out to her, and Liz took it gratefully. "You just care about Kenneth. I know you do. I do too. But you've got to trust me, Lemon- and you've got to trust Kenneth, too."

She nodded, sipping her scotch. "I do."

Jack smiled. "I'll visit when I can. See how he's holding up."

"Keep in touch with me. Please, Jack."  
"Of course."

Liz sighed, the alcohol spreading into her veins, draining some of the tension and exhaustion from her, replacing it with a numb, tingly happiness. "You're a good man, Jack. I know you'll do great things for Kabletown."

Jack dipped his head. "I'll try, Lemon. I'll try."

Liz handed him back the glass of scotch. "Here. I'd better stop if I'm going to be able to drive home."

Jack carefully poured the remainder of her scotch into his glass. "Take care, Lemon."

She headed toward the door with a little wave. But the farther she got from Jack, the more she felt like she was forgetting something.

So she turned around. Jack was still there, staring after her and imbibing his scotch. A small smile spread across Liz's face, and she rushed back over to him. She grasped his shoulders firmly to pull herself up, and planted a kiss on his mouth.

Just a kiss. No tongue, no attraction. Just because this was the last time she would see him before he went off to be the CEO of Kabletown and they hardly saw each other.

"I'll miss you." she murmured, letting go of Jack.

"This isn't goodbye." he told her. And his soft, gravelly voice was so relaxing to her now that she believed it.

"Alright." Liz headed toward the door again. "Then I guess I'll see you later, Jack?"

And as she shut the doors behind her, she heard Jack call, "Definitely."

end


End file.
